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A tuning fork even nonmusicians will appreciate

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Are antibiotics working or not? Sick people have had to wait to find out—until now!

This is Sandra Tsing Loh with The Loh Down on Science.

Often, learning if an antibiotic is killing bacteria involves culturing the critters and watching for decreased growth rates. Boring! (And slow!) Now, Swiss researchers have developed a device that can tell in minutes if antibiotic-treated bacteria are dying!

It's a microscopic cantilever, or flexible bar, that vibrates like a tuning fork. When living bacteria are grown on the bar, the bar vibrates minutely. It's thought the bacteria's metabolic reactions are causing the motion. Dead bacteria don't move.

In a test, the team treated E. coli growing on the bar with antibiotics. They found the bar’s movements decreased by twenty-fold within minutes! So the antibiotic was working!

Another test with antibiotic-resistant E. coli showed decreased motion for 15 minutes following antibiotic treatment. Then increased motion. Meaning the bacteria suffered a setback, but recovered. Time to try something else.

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About The Loh Down On Science

The Loh Down on Science is the fun way to get your daily dose of science in less than two minutes. The program explains the world of science with a dash of humor. Hosted by writer/performer and Caltech alumna Sandra Tsing Loh, it's a program for those who love science as well as for those who avoid it!